FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:
June 11, 2021
 
COLUMBIA, S.C. ― As efforts to unify South Carolina in the fight against COVID-19 continue, state public health officials are asking residents to support an upcoming COVID-19 Vaccine Action Week by getting their vaccines and encouraging their friends and family to receive their COVID-19 vaccines as well. 

While the South Carolina Department of Health and Environmental Control (DHEC) and its partners continue to implement the statewide COVID-19 vaccination plan, South Carolina, like most other states, has seen a decline in vaccine demand since mid-April. To date, more than 45 percent of vaccine-eligible South Carolinians have received at least one shot, and more than 38 percent are fully vaccinated; however, health officials would like those percentages to get to the 70-percent range or higher as quickly as possible.

“We have a lot to be proud of and, at the same time, it’s fair to say we have a lot more work to do,” said Dr. Brannon Traxler, DHEC Public Health Director. “For the past 17 months, I’ve been part of our state’s COVID-19 response, and it’s incredible to see how far we’ve come in such a short amount of time to overcome this devastating disease. I’ve watched South Carolinians care for each other and come together in ways rarely seen before. Now is the time for us all to band together once more and end this pandemic by encouraging our unvaccinated neighbors to get their shots.”

DHEC and several essential partners have organized a COVID-19 Vaccine Action Week for June 13-19, and all South Carolinians are encouraged to participate by getting their shots, sharing factual vaccine information, and telling their vaccine stories.

• Sunday, June 13 (or the appropriate day of worship depending on the faith group): DHEC has reached out to churches, houses of worship, and faith-based groups across the state to encourage them to ring their bells, host moments of silence or reflection, and exercise other methods of respect to honor the more than 9,700 South Carolinians who have lost their lives to COVID-19. Those who worship on a day other than Sunday are asked to remember the lives we’ve lost as they practice their faith this week. 
• Monday, June 14: 30 DHEC Public Health Departments or other DHEC-operated clinics around the state are offering vaccinations with no appointments or insurance required.  The clinic locations and hours are available here. All of these DHEC clinics will offer the Moderna vaccine.
• Tuesday, June 15:  Retail pharmacies across the state will offer free walk-in vaccinations with no appointments or insurance needed. Participating pharmacies include all Ingles, CVS, Walgreens, Walmart, Public, Harris Teeter, Kroger and Costco pharmacies. Find the location of one of these retail pharmacies near you at scdhec.gov/vaxlocator.
• Wednesday, June 16: Participating hospital sites around the state will offer free walk-in vaccinations with no appointments or insurance needed. Click here for more information.
• Thursday, June 17: Participating Federally Qualified Health Centers (FQHCs) around the state will offer free walk-in vaccinations with no appointments or insurance needed.  Clinic locations and hours are available here.
• Friday, June 18: Participating rural health clinics around the state will offer free walk-in vaccinations with no appointments or insurance needed. Clinic locations and hours are available here.
• Saturday, June 19: DHEC and partners will be encouraging young adults to educate themselves about the importance of receiving their vaccines and will be promoting the vaccine events occurring at participating breweries around the state as part of the new “The Shot with a Chaser” campaign, a partnership with the S.C. Brewers Guild.

This list of COVID-19 Action Week events and details are available online at scdhec.gov.

Vaccine Conversation Starters with Friends and Family
South Carolinians are encouraged to share important, fact-based COVID-19 vaccine information from sources like DHEC and the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) with family, friends, colleagues, neighbors, and others, especially those who have not yet been vaccinated.  

Suggestions for how to have a conversation about the COVID-19 vaccines area available on DHEC’s new Vaccine Conversation Starters webpage. Tips include:

•    Listen more than you talk. Hold a conversation, not a debate.
•    Lead with empathy. Respect people’s concerns.
•    Facts about safety matter. Make sure you’re sharing the most current and factual, science-based information.
•    Be inviting. Be open to sharing your vaccination story.

DHEC offers a Government and Community Organizations toolkit where many downloadable COVID-19 vaccine resources are available, including:

•    An email template to share information about the COVID-19 vaccine with members of your organization or community
•    Sample social media posts
•    Printable vaccine posters of various sizes
•    Social media graphics
•    Printable two-sided COVID-19 vaccine fact sheet
•    Facebook, Twitter and YouTube banners and frames
•    An “I Got My COVID-19 Vaccine” Snapchat filter

DHEC has additional English and Spanish outreach materials available at scdhec.gov/vaxfacts. These materials are being shared with all South Carolina state agencies; schools, colleges, and universities across the state; hospitals and health clinics; vaccine providers; churches and places of worship from multiple faiths; the business community by way of the S.C. Department of Commerce; local governments and other groups around the state.

“I lost someone very dear to me to COVID-19,” said Dr. Traxler. “We have all lost so much in some way over the past year. The only way to end this pandemic once and for all is to roll up our sleeves and get our shots. For those of you who are one of the 140 million fully-vaccinated Americans – thank you. I encourage you to tell your story, talk with your friends and family, shared fact-based information and help all of us put COVID-19 behind us.”

For the latest COVID-19 vaccine information, visit scdhec.gov/vaxfacts.

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